Conservative Blogger Wages War on McConnell
Hawkins, a professional blogger, is fed up with Sen. Mitch McConnell's leadership and is making his frustration known on his site and among other conservative-leaning outlets like Townhall.com and the Washington Examiner. Hawkins cites McConnell's support for earmarks, amnesty and the financial bailout as reasons for the Leader's ouster.
Hawkins is also unleashing negative web-ads against McConnell, receiving roughly 2 million impressions a week on them in an initial soft-launch. The ad currently running on his blog features a photo of McConnell with the internet-friendly title "Epic Fail." The ad links to his Townhall column laying his opposition to McConnell.
I asked Hawkins why he was so incensed. He told me, "Other than George Bush and John McCain, Mitch McConnell had more to do with the party's loss in 2008 than anyone else. Keeping him as Senate Minority Leader sends a message to the country and to conservatives who have been deeply unhappy with the Senate's performance under McConnell that the status quo is good enough."
"Are they up there to serve the people who sent them to Washington in the first place or are they part of a social club?" he asked. "If the answer is the former, the last guy they should want in charge is Mitch McConnell who has led the GOP to a loss of 13 seats since he became Whip and was then was promoted to Minority Leader."